The story of Worldpriest – 1994 to 2018 1994 On 15 January at 4. 35 pm : Worldpriest founder Marion Mulhall, at a time of Eucharistic Adoration being prayed over by Father Kevin Scallon, received the vocation to PROMOTE THE PRIESTHOOD –– AT ANY PRICE. 1994 July: For some ten days each evening Marion addressed the International Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation at Seton Hall University New Jersey USA. She was invited by the founder of the institute, Monsignor Andrew Cusack. 2000 October: Marion and the Worldpriest team addressed the USA Bishops’ Conference at their autumn conference in Washington DC USA on the invitation of Bishop Kicanas of Chicago. 2002 June: Saint John Paul ll announced the Annual World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, to be held on the Feast of The Sacred Heart –– a major event in the Church Calendar. The World Day of Prayer for Priests was an annual event for which Marion had been praying and asking to celebrate for very a long time. 2003 June: the second World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests celebrations began seriously with a global advertising campaign produced by Marion and her professional team. A new website www.worldpriestday.com was launched in celebration of this special day of prayer for priests. Appointed Archbishop Michael Neary of the Archdiocese of Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, as Episcopal Adviser to Worldpriest. Received not-for-profit status Ireland –– Irish Charity No.CHY 15473. 2005 Launch of Worldpriest.Com Global Apostolate website by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland. 2007 Received not-for-profit status for Worldpriest Inc. in USA. Worldpriest Inc. is a not for- profit organisation under Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Marion was a guest on EWTN LIVE with Father Mitch Pacwa SJ, in Birmingham Alabama USA sharing her vocation story and the developments of the Worldpriest Global Apostolate. Catholic Identity Card: Launched on EWTN to reach out to people, also a vital fundraising exercise for the Worldpriest Global Apostolate. 2009 June: Beginning of the Year of the Priest. Worldpriest launched a national advertising campaign entitled A Priest is Called to Listen which reached an audience of some three million people –– which was the equivalent of the entire Irish nation, also online. June: Launch of the first ever Global Rosary Relay for the Sanctification of Priests –– an inspiration from our Lady, of ‘ Twenty Countries Twenty Mysteries’. November: Worldpriest team members of the USA board were guests on EWTN LIVE – including Marion Mulhall, Niall Kennedy, Monsignor Michael Curran with Father Mitch Pacwa at EWTN in Birmingham Alabama. By this time Worldpriest had received the Apostolic Blessings from two Popes – Saint John Paul ll and His Holiness Benedict XVI. Appointed Richard G. Stewart Jr. as President of Worldpriest Inc. USA 2010 July: Official announcement by Worldpriest to organise the now Annual Global Rosary Relay for the sanctification of Priests to be held on the Feast of the Sacred Heart annually. 2011 Pope Benedict XVI –– wrote a special prayer that is prayed at each prayer location as the Worldpriest Global Rosary Relay for Priests is linked to its next prayer location. 2012 30 May: Members of the Worldpriest team in the USA were guests on EWTN live – Bernie Neal and James Diroff with Father Mitch Pacwa SJ, at EWTN Birmingham Alabama, USA. Eucharistic Congress Dublin Ireland. Marion was a guest speaker at the Eucharistic Congress and prayed the Irish leg of the Worldpriest Rosary Relay via a number of live television broadcasts worldwide, including EWTN. June : Eucharistic Congress , launches of Worldpriest television and on-line television resource for priests and laity alike to view. New television programmes were produced to a planned schedule as we secured the necessary funding to do so. September: Marion addressed The European Marian Network AGM in Rome and all twenty Shrines dedicated to Our Lady from all over Europe were present. September: Marion was given a beautiful gift from His Holiness Benedict XVI – a white Rosary Beads. 2013 12, 13, 14, and 15 August, the first ever Worldpriest Tochar Padraig Pilgrimage Walk from Ballintubber Abbey, County Mayo, to Croagh Patrick and on to Knock Shrine, an official part of the Gathering 2013, a Irish major tourism event of the year 2013 2014 Developed much new content for both websites, including webcam presentations. We now have some forty-four volunteers working actively worldwide on the Worldpriest Apostolate. Back to Basics television series completed the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Holy Orders –– both part of a new seven-part Worldpriest TV initiative on the Seven Sacraments. 2014 Pope Francis's Apostolic Blessing for the Annual Global Rosary Relay for Priests (Conveyed through Vatican Secretary of State): “ Holy Father asks you to convey his cordial greetings to all taking part in the ‘24 - Hour Rosary Relay for Priests' and to assure them of his spiritual closeness. He prays that our Blessed Mother may always guide and protect priests who are consecrated to the joyful and indispensable mission of proclaiming the Gospel and offering God's people, through the celebration of the sacraments, the closeness, the word and the strength of Christ” (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 121). With great affection and appreciation for priests, His Holiness commends them and those joining in this event to the loving intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, and willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of grace and peace. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State. The Annual Prayer Location of the Year Award This was announced to acknowledge the outstanding promotion and participation in the Worldpriest Annual Global Rosary Relay for the Sanctification of Priests for a specific chosen prayer location as a way to thank all involved in extending the invitation to pray to as many people as possible. 2015 For the annual global Rosary Relay for Priests on 12 June 2015 Marion Mulhall was with The Holy Cross Family Ministries in Boston USA and included a visit to the tomb of Venerable Patrick Peyton who providentially blessed Marion when she was just two days old. Worldpriest’s new website was officially launched later in that year. Appointed Anne Brady as a director of Worldpriest Ireland. Appointed James A.Diroff as a director of Worldpriest Inc. USA . 2016 At the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in April of that year at an international conference entitled Participation and Sharing, Managing Church Communication in a Digital Environment. Marion was an invited as guest speaker, presenting an account of the development and growth of the Annual Global Rosary Relay. Worldpriest partnered with the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation in the promotion of a special retreat given by Pope Francis for the Jubilee Year of Mercy to the priests of the world which began on 1 June and closed on 3 June . of that year with Archbishop Fisichella President of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation leading the praying of the Worldpriest Annual Global Rosary Relay from the steps of Saint Peter’s Basilica. On 3 June Marion Mulhall, founder of the Worldpirest Global Aposto- late, had the most wonderful gift of being greeted by Pope Francis on Global Rosary Relay Day. Such joy and such a blessing never to be forgotten, which also happened to be the twenty-fourth anniversary of Venerable Patrick Peyton’s passing to his eternal reward, who had blessed Marion when only a tiny infant. 2017 Worldpriest added three new sections to its website namely 1) Be a Daily Priest Prayer Friend which reaches out each day with a new prayer reflection to pray for priests, kindly written by Father Brian Grogan SJ. 2) Rosary Thursday –– as every Thursday is now Rosary Thursday when the world prays the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary for the Sanctification of Priests, being the same prayer intention as the Annual Global Rosary Relay for the Sanctification of Priests . 3) Shine a light on a Shrine dedicated to Our Lady which is relatively unknown – a new monthly feature. The first shrine in this new series was The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Ta’ Pinu – Gozo, Malta. The Worldpiest Annual Global Rosary Relay was again a huge success this year with over 10 million joining in prayer at an allocated time from all over the world. Appointed Colm Flynn television producer/presenter as a director of Worlpriest Ireland. 2018 The popularity and growth of the Worldpriest Annual Global Rosary Relay for the Sanctification of Priests was a huge success this year, with approximately 175 prayer locations in some 70 countries prayerfully participating. We now have crossed the threshold of our 10th Anniversary year with many exciting plans in discussion presently to mark this milestone of the Worldpriest Global Apostolate. We currently are making participation plans for the World Meeting of Families taking place in Dublin Ireland this August. In October of this year Marion Mulhall is a guest speaker at the annual novena taking place at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help at Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Planning work is in place for the Tenth Annual Global Rosary Relay taking place on the 28 June 2019 which is also the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.